Il Sogno Weingut

Rudi Längauer came down from Austria, planted himself on the terra rossa above Mombaruzzo, and turned an outsider's start into a small organic cellar that visitors keep coming back to. He works single-varietal Barbera, Freisa and Nizza alongside the barrel-aged whites and blended reds he's known for — the "Istooh" cuvée gets singled out — and he'll take real time over the cellar tour, explaining the organic method rather than rushing you to the pour.

There are apartments on the estate too, with a pool and a proper breakfast laid out each morning, so it's an easy place to taste and stay in one go. Most guests here speak German, and Längauer switches between German, English and Italian without missing a beat. It's a one-man operation, so ring ahead — that's the point of the place.